![]() Many modern artists have taken a shine to John Keats’ description, preferring it to Lamia’s monstrous Greek appearance. Keats’ Lamia follows the later interpretation of Lamia, that despite all efforts to make her monstrous, she was still easy on the eyes. The poet John Keats described Lamia as ever-beautiful: “She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue…vermilion-spotted, golden, green, and blue…” ( Lamia 1820). It was rationalized that either one would have been willing to drop their guard around a beautiful woman. Usually, she would target young children or young men. The shapeshifting was thought to make it easier for the creature to lure in prey. It is additionally said that Lamia can shapeshift. Whether or not Lamia retained her beauty is still up for debate: she is either repulsive, as several ancient writers attest, or is as enchanting as ever. Lamia appears as a half-woman, half-snake. They could shapeshift and conjure visions of splendor in order to cement their victim’s place in their lair. At least, they were beautiful when they wanted to be. Outside of their apparent uncleanliness and supposed stench, the Lamiae were beautiful beings that lured handsome youngmen to their demise. John Cuthbert Lawson in his 1910 study Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion, remarks that the Lamiae were notorious for their “uncleanliness, their gluttony, and their stupidity.” An example of this is the contemporary Greek proverb, “της Λάμιας τα σαρώματα” (the Lamia’s sweeping). These were folkloric monsters similar to blood-draining vampires and seductive succubi. ![]() They were inspired by the myth of Lamia, the ill-fated Libyan queen. The Lamia, better known by the plural Lamiae, were vampiric phantoms. By comparison, it could refer to a variation of the myth where Lamia is not serpentine, but rather shark-like. The name ‘Lamia’ may translate to “rogue shark,” which would make sense if she was a daughter of the god of the sea. Therefore, the only sure-fire fact about Lamia before her monstrous transformation is that she was a Libyan queen. Interestingly enough, Pseudo-Apollodorus does not mention Lamia as one of Belus’ offspring with his wife, Achiroe. Lamia is rather generally accepted to be the daughter of Belus, an Egyptian king. There are no other surviving sources that support this theory. However, he is the only source that lists Poseidon as Lamia’s old man. If we listen to Stesichorus, Poseidon is the father of Lamia. Ultimately, the threat of Lamia’s torment existed for generations and, arguably, may still exist. Furthermore, by the end of Lamia’s story, she is considered to be immortal. Her beauty was enough that she became one of Zeus’ favorite lovers. Regardless if the beautiful Lamia had a god for a parent or not didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Diodorus Siculus suggests that Lamia’s father was Belus and that her mother was instead Libye, the Greek personification of Libya. Meanwhile, Achiroe was the nymph daughter of Nilus, the god of the Nile River. Belus was the demi-god son of Poseidon and the brother of Agenor. Some separate sources ascribe Lamia’s parents as Belus, a king of Egypt, and Achiroe. The possible connection between Lamia the sea goddess-turned-sea monster and Lamia the vampiric demon is speculated, but unconfirmed. Once a beautiful youth, Acheilus was cursed for his hubris after he challenged Aphrodite to a beauty contest. This Lamia is considered to be the mother of Scylla and the monstrous shark, Acheilus. ![]() There does exist a Lamia in ancient Greek religion that is the daughter of Poseidon and a lover of Zeus. It would explain her great beauty, the same of which plagued Helen of Troy and inadvertently led to the Trojan War. Lamia is not traditionally a goddess, though the Greek lyrical poet Stesichorus identifies Lamia as the daughter of Poseidon. Most importantly, the end of the relationship led to the creation of one of Greek mythology’s most famous monsters. The fallout from Lamia and Zeus’ affair led to the death of their children and yet another tragic legend. As one can guess, this extramarital affair did not go over well with Zeus’ jealous wife, Hera. Equipped with substantial beauty and charm, the mortal woman effortlessly won the devotion of her divine lover. She eventually caught the attention of Zeus, becoming one of his many paramours. Ancient commentaries on Aristophanes’ Peace echoed this notion. Lamia is predominantly known as a female demon that has an appetite for children and youths. Lamia in the Middle Ages and in Christianity.How is Lamia Represented in Greek Mythology?.
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